Abrading machine



Jan.22,1935.

W. SCRIMGEOUR ABRADING MACHINE Filed Jan. 4, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 22, 1935. w. ISCRIMGEOUR ABRADING MAcf-IINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 4,1953

3 Sheets-SheetB Jan; 22, 1935. w. SCRIMGEOUR ABRADING" MACHINE Filed Jan. 4, 1933 of the pressure of the abrading roll '7 upon the work may be attained, the bearing members 5, which support the abrading roll, are provided with cushioning supporting means, preferably in the form of cylinders 8 having pistons 9, the rods or stems 10 of which engage with and support the bearing members 5. These cylinders are connected by branch pipes 11 with a header or manifold 12 communicating with a source of pressure fluid such as anaccumulator 13 the piston 14 of which may be. appropriately weighted, as indicated at 15, to obtain the desired pressure effect. Fluid may be supplied to the accumulator 13 from a pump or other appropriate source (not shown) through a pipe 16.

By this arrangement itwill be apparent that any desired pressure of fluid may be maintained in the cylinders 8 and against the pistons 9 there- '1 of to neutralize apart of the weight of the abrading roll, thus floating it in a cushioned manner relatively tothe work. a

Due to the fact that, in order to properly performthe abrading operation, the weight of the abrading, roll 7 must slightly exceed the coun-' teracting cushioning support, it will be obvious I that, in the absence of the work between the work ping the pressure fluid in the cylinders 8 and for clamping or fixingthe bearing members 5 relatively to their. guide members 4. In order that trapping of the pressure fluid in the cylinders 8 may be effective for the purpose of .flxing the abrading roll, the fluid used is preferably a liquid,

water being appropriate.

In the header or manifold 12 is arranged a valve 1'7 to the stem of which is connected a lever 18 adapted to be oscillated to open and close the valve 17 by appropriate means such as the core 19 of an electromagnet 20 provided with two windings 21 and 22 capable of-being separately energized. Thus, when the valve 17 is open the cylinders 8 m in communication with the accumulator 13, and when it is closed the cylinders have the pressure fluid trapped in them and in the header or manifold 12.

Each of the bearing members 5 is provided, preferably in its upper portion with a slot 23 in which is mounted a clamping dog 24 adapted for wedging engagement with the adjacent faces of the guide members 4. These two clamping dogs 24 are fixed upon and turn with a rod 25 having bearings in the bearing members 5 and in a bridge member 26. The rod 25 is provided with a crank or offset 27 whereby it may be oscillated by appropriate means such as a slotted bar 28 connected with or forming the core of an electromagnet 29 having two coils 30 and 31 (see Fig. 4) capable of being separately energized to clamp and unclamp the dogs 24, respectively.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that adjacent to the abrading roll 7 and in advance thereof in the direction of travel of the work, as indicated by the arrow a, is a roller or a plurality of rollers 32 so mounted and pivotally supported on arms 33 pivoted at 34 that when the work is present the roller or rollers will be depressed and, in the absence of the work will project into the normal path of travel of 'the' work. This mechanism is provided for automatically controlling the valve 17 and clamping dogs 24, and, as illustrated schematically in Fig. 4, one of the arms 33 may carry or operate a switch member 35 cooperating with a contact strip 36 and two contacts 37 and 38 for closing operating electric circuits through the coils 22 and 31, and 21 and 30, respectively, to open the valve 17 and unclamp the dogs 24, and to close the valve 17 and clamp the dogs 24, respectively, as the work progresses through the machine.

Suitable series of feed rollers 39 and 40 appropriately driven, as by a silent chain 41 (Fig. 1) and sprockets, feed the work through the machine, these feed rollers being suitably supported by bearing rollers 42 carried in upper and lower bearing yokes 43 and 44, respectively, the upper yokes 43 preferably being resiliently mounted in spring-pressed bearings 45 (see Fig. 1) as are also the end bearings 46 of the upper feed rollers.

Referring now particularly to the abrading roll 7, it will be seen, by an inspection of Fig. 2, that it comprises a plurality of similar abrading members or disks 47 having fixed therein metal hubs 48. These disks are arranged upon a mandrel 49 in intimate contact and mounted for rotation therewith by suitably keying their hubs to the mandrel key'way'50, as indicated at 50, Fig. 4. In order to hold the disks 47 in abrading r011 forming assembly upon the mandrel and at the same time provide bearings therefor in the bushings 6 of the bearing members 5, sleeve members 51 and 52 are provided. The sleeve member 51 is assembled upon the mandrel 49 before any of the disks are slipped thereon and abuts against a hexagonal or other non-cylindrical head 53 thereon. The other sleeve member 52 is slipped onto the other end of the mandrel after all of the disks are in place thereon and is forced home against the end disk by a cap screw 54 which engages the screw threads of a bore 55 in the adjacent end of the mandrel. Thus, the abrading disks are assembled on the mandrel in intimate contact to form the abrading roll.

The abrading roll is rotated by means of pulleys 56 keyed to the sleeve members 51 and 52 and belts 57 driven by pulleys 58 fixed on the extensions 59 of the shaft of a motor 60 carried upon the bridge 26 and reciprocable therewith with the bearing members 5 and abrading roll 7. Axial reciprocation of the abrading roll is accomplished by means of a lever 61 having a pivot bearing 62 in a fixed bracket 63 and provided with an opening 64 carrying pins 65 which engage a suitable annular recess 66 adjacent to the outer end of 'the sleeve member 52. The free end of the lever 61 is provided with a longitudinal slot 67 which receives the pin 68 of a crank arm 69 on a shaft 70. 'The shaft 70 is rotated by a worm and wheel gearing '71, 72, the worm '71 of which is mounted on a back shaft '73 driven by gears '74 and from the motor shaft extension 59.

As indicated in Fig. 4, the abrading machine of the invention may, and preferably does, include a plurality of abrading rolls 7 and work supporting rolls 3, and each pair of cooperating means thus provided may have its abrading roll mounted, controlled and driven in the manner hereinbefore'd scribed, the parts for each being duplicated with the possible exception, if desired, of the accumulator 13 which may be used to furnish pressure fluid to all of the cylinders 8.

Spray devices -76 and squeegees 7'7 are preferably' provided for-wetting and cooling the work as it passes beneath the abrading rolls and for removing the water and grit, respectively.

Referring particularly to Fig. 4. the operation of the machine may be described briefly as follows:The work, such as a plate or sheet A is fed between'the first set of feed rollers B and is advanced thereby in the direction of the arrow a. When its leading end b strikes against and passes over the roller of the switch mechanism at C, this roller is depressed and the switch member 35 is moved from contact 38-to contact 37 thereby energizing the coils 22 and 31 of the electromagnets 20 and 29, respectively, and opening valve 1'7 and unclamping dogs 24 of the first abrading unit. By the time the operation of the valve and clamping dogs is reflected in the mechanism of the abrading roll, due to an expected lag, the

end b of the work will have been fed between the abrading .roll and work supporting roller of the first abrading unit. During the abrading operation thepressureor bearing of the abrad ing roll upon the work may be appropriately regulated by control of the pressure of fluid in the cylinders 8 which support it through its bearing members 5. Obviously, when the end b strikes and passes over the roller 32 at D a similar operation to that just described will take place in the .switch mechanism and parts controlled thereby to put the second abrading unit into operation;

and if more abrading units are used a similar operation will occur as the leading end of the work arrives adjacent to it.

When the tail end 0 of the work passes over the roller 32 at C, substantially as shown at the left of Fig. 4, the switch member 35 will assume the position illustrated in which the circuits are closed through the coils 21 and 30 of the electromagnets 20 and 29, respectively, to close the valve 17 and clamp the dogs 24, thus fixing the abrading roll in position out of contact with the work supporting roller. Similarly, when the roller 32 at D is passed by the work, the abrading roll of the second unit will be fixed; and so on throughout the plurality of abrading units employed.

The abrading rolls have a peripheral speed substantially in excess of the speed at which the .work isadvanced and may, if desired, rotate in opposition to the direction of .work travel. The pressure in the cylinders 8 is so adjusted that a desired part of the weight of the abrading roll and its. associated carrying frame is balanced, and the abrading roll is thus floated upon the work sheet. ,The nature or-extent of the abrading action is controlled by the eilfective pressure of the roll upon the sheet of metal. If a relative deep grinding action is desired, the pressure in cylinder 8 is adjusted, by a proper choice of the weights of the accumulator, to counterbalance only a small part of the total weight of the abrading roll and other elements carried by the carrying frame. When only a polishing action is desired, the pressure in cylinders 8 is increased to reduce the effective pressure of the abrading roll upon the work sheet. By actual experiment or by experience with sheets of similar material, the exact cylinder pressure for floating the abrading roll upon the work sheet may be adjusted to produce any desired abrading action.

Referring again to Fig. 4, it will be noted that two pairs of feed rollers 39 are employed in advance of the first abrading unit while a single pair is employed between adjacent abrading units. The extra rollers are employed at the entrance to the machine to prevent an angular movement of the work sheet in the feed rollers in the event that the sheet is angularly arranged or one comer of its entering edge reaches the abrading roller in advance of its other forward corner.

As hereinbefore stated, although a particular embodiment of the invention is shown and described, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications are considered to be within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

What I'claim is:

1. In an abrading machine, work supporting means, abrading means, means forming a cushioningsupport for said abrading means whereby same is supported in predetermined relation to work through the machine for controlling the effect of said cushioning support and means responsive to the travel of the work for fixing said abrading means with respect thereto.

3. In an abrading machine, work supporting means, abrading means, means forming a floating support for saidabrading means, whereby the same is supported in predetermined relation to the work, means responsive to passage of the work through the machine for controlling the effect of said cushioning support and means responsive to the travel of the work for fixing said abrading means with respect thereto, said controlling and fixing means being simultaneously operable. I

4. In an abrading machine, work supporting means, abrading means, means forming a floating support for said abrading means, interrelated means for controlling the eifect of said floating support and for fixing said abrading means with respect to the work, and means operable in response to passage of the Wll'k through the machine for actuating said controlling means and said fixing means.

5. In an abrading machine, work supporting means, abrading means, means forming a floating support for said abrading means, interrelated means for controlling the effect of said floating support and for fixing said abrading means with respect to the work, and means operable in response to passage of the work through the machine for simultaneously actuating said controlling means and said fixing means.

6. In an abrading machine, a work supporting roll, an abrading roll, a framework for supporting said abrading roll in operative assembly and reciprocable relatively to said work supporting roll, said framework being biased to urge said abrading roll toward said work supporting roll, means adjustable to neutralize a desired portion of the force with which said biased framework tends to press said abrading roll against a work piece supported on said supporting roll, whereby the abrading roll is supported in predetermined relation to the work, and means operable in response to passage of the work through the machine for controlling the efiect of said neutralizing support.

7. In an abrading machine, work supporting means, abrading means, a framework for supporting said abrading means in operative assembly and reciprocable relatively to said work supporting means, said framework and abrading means tending by gravity to carry said abrading roll towards said work supporting means, means adjustable to neutralize a desired portion of the weight of said framework and abrading means, whereby the abrading means is supported in predetermined relation to the work, means operable to fix said framework and abrading means rela-' tively to said work supporting means, and means operable in response to passage of the work through the machine for actuating said fixing means and for rendering said neutralizing means inoperative.

8. In an abrading machine, work supporting means, abrading means, a framework for supporting said means in operatlveassembly, said framework including means reciprocable relatively to said work supporting means and in which said abrading means is mounted' fluid pressure operated means forming a cushioning support for said reciprocable means, means connected with a source of pressure fluid for supplying same to said fluid pressure operated cushioning means, a valve for controlling said pressure fluid, and means operable in response to travel of the work through the machine for actuating said valve to control the effect of said cushioning support.

9. In an abrading machine, work supporting means, abrading means, a framework for supporting said means in operative assembly, said framework including means reciprocable relatively to said work supporting means and in which said abrading means is mounted, fluid pressure operated means forming a cushioning support for said reciprocable means, means connected with a source of pressurefiuid for supplying same to said fluid pressure operated means and including a valve for controlling the same, means operableto flx said reciprocable means relatively to said work supporting means, and means operable in response to passage of the work through the machine for actuating said valve and said fixing means. i

10. In an abrading machine, work supporting means, abrading means, a framework for supporting said means in operative assembly, reciprocable bearing members carrying said abrading means and cooperating with fixed guides provided in said framework, cushioning means for determining the pressure of said abrading means upon the work, means carried by said bearing members and cooperating with said guides to flx said abrading means relatively to said work supporting means, and means operable in response to passage of the work through the machine for actuating said fixing means to lock the said bearing members in the position then occupied by same with respect to said work supporting means.

11. In an abrading machine, work supporting means, abrading means, a framework for supporting said means in operative assembly, reciprocable bearing members carrying said abrading means and cooperating with fixed guides provided in said framework, cushioning means for determining the pressure of said abrading means upon the work, said cushioning means including pressure cylinder and piston means for said bearing members, means carried by said bearing members and cooperating with said guides to fix said abrading means relatively to said work supporting means, and means operable in response to passage of the work through tliehmachine for actuating said fixing means.

12. In an abrading machine, work supporting means, abrading means, a framework for supporting said means in operative assembly, reciprocable bearing members carrying said abradlng'means and cooperating with fixed guides provided in said framework, cushioning means for determining the pressure of said abrading means upon the work, said cushioning means including a-pressure cylinder and piston means for said bearing members and means for the supply and control of pressure fluid therefor, means carried by said bearing members and cooperating with said guides to fix said abrading means relatively to said work supporting means, and means operable in response to passage of the work through the machine for actuating said fixing means and pressure control means.

13. In an abrading machine, work supporting means, abrading means, means providing a floating support for positioning said abrading means in predetermined relation to the work, and means operable in response to passage of theiwcrk through the machine for'flxing said abrading means in the position occupied by the same with respect to said work supporting means when the work clears, said abrading means.

14. In an abrading machine, work supporting means, abrading means, means'providing a floating support for said abrading means upon the work, whereby the abrading means may operate upon the .work as desired, means for controlling the effect of said floating supporting means, means for fixing said abrading means with respect to said work supporting means, and means operable in response to passage of the work relatively to said work supporting means and said abrading means for actuating said controlling and fixing means to maintain said abrading means and work supporting means out of contact after the passage of the work from between them.

15. In an abrading machine forworking upon sheet'material, worksupporting means and a operating abrading roll, a reciprocable frame supporting said abrading roll above said supporting roll, said frame and abrading roll being biased to force said abrading roll towards said supporting roll, means for advancing a work piece past said abradingroll, means to determine the pressure with which said abrading roll engages a work piece on said supporting means, and means actuated by the work piece on its movement with respect to said abrading roll and supporting means to control the effect of said pressure de-' termining means.

16. An abrading machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein said work-actuated means locks said abrading roll in the position which it occupies when the work piece passes out from beneath the same and unlocks said abrading roll upon I the-introduction of the next work piece.

WILLIAM SCRIMGEOUR. 

